The Washington critic., 1887-02-01
STREET RAILROADS ENOUGH.

STREET RAILROADS ENOUGH.
A good deal that Is said about grid
ironing" the city with new system
of street railroads is spoken in
spirit of invidlous and jealous hostility
TO the granting of such franchise.
1t is natural enough that rival or com.
peting interests should feel in this way
to some extent but there is no small
number of citizens, We are confident,
entirely dislnterestcd, SO far as bust.
ness considerations are concerned,
who, If called upon for an expression
Of their Views, would also protest
against the char,crin5 Of any moro
street railway companies and FOR rel-
sons peculiarly heir own.
The CWUc, as caunot well be lOcs
toned, keeps fully abreast VI the spirit
of the times and u l.ll. in the lead, II
possible, on all questions affecting the
future growth aud prosperity OF the
National Capital, and It also believes
in extending the facilities OF trauspor.
tation, SO as 10 encourage suburban de-
velopment and accommodate citizens
in every direction. We're Washington
great commercial or manufacturing
city, or ever destined to be, we should
favor elevated roads, surface roads and
underground roads, il necessary, on
every street and avenue, till the whole
town and outlying county were thor
oughly "gridironed;' but the objection
we now have, and, as we doubt not,
many others have, TO the "grilironlng"
process, is that 1t threatens to exceed
the public necessity, and more than
that, menaces the finest thoroughfares
in the world with countless disligure-
ments to their beauty and distractions
10 travel.
The National Capital is not a mart of
trade, with its rushing and crushing
thousands bent on toll or traffic, Ia
whom the element of time is Of prime
consideration, but stately metropolis
where the regular routine business OF
the Government Is carried on In q
methodical and uucXciting way, and
the large proportion of whose citizens
of means are leading lives of elegant
leisure rather than of bustling specula
tiop, and where for many months in
the year American society, intent upon
spending money more than making 1t
holds high carnival.
Washington is also rapidly becoming
centre OF art, science and letters, and
Is the constant resort of visitors from
all sections of the Union, VINO do no
come here to buy or barter, but to al
mire the wonders and rejoice in til,
marvellous splendor of their scat o
government.
Especially Is Washington, Of al
ether cities in the country, . city o
carriagedrives and carriage driving
not alone for those who eau aiTor,
the luxury OF elegant equipagcs, bu
for people of moderate means and al
lovers Of horscGash, to whom It Is Al
object worthy of due consideration
that the streets should not bi cut NJ
and tespassed upon by gridiron o
car.tracks.
II is 10 the interest of all citizens o
the District, whether property holder
or not, to maintain the unique attrac
tions Of the Capital us far as possibl
unimpaired, and especially TO sec tha
It's broad, unrivnlel streets are not de
spoiled by the ruthless march of al
legged Improvements" As the popu
lation enlarges and extends beyond tn
capacity of our present lines of trans
portation let 1t be provided for by a
enlarged and extended system of cab:
and omnibusses and herdics by whIc
no roadways are torn up and whic
afford quite as comfortable, cheap an
expeditions methods of transit as tn
street cars. 1t we're better If the locf
travel of the entire city were done i
this way, but as we cannot eXpeC
Congress to annul the charters of e>
isting corporations, we can only hor
that before creating new ones, wit
authority to vandalize the handsome'
parts of the city and lay miles of roug
and noisy nuisance along our mob
ihoroughfares it will stop to considC
whether the wants of the public, whlc
are first TO be considered, cannot !
supplied by other equally convenier
means, and without prejudice or ii
jury TO streets whose long stretchC
of smooth, unbrokon surface and az
mirable pavement, constitute the chi,
enumeration aud glory Of the Ca!
itu1